Hat box



April 5,1927, 1,623,715

A. BERKOWITZ Y HAT BOX Filed July 22; 1926 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HAT BOX Filed July 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

AARON BERKOWITZ,

HAT

Application filed July 22,

This invention relates to foldable or collapsible shipping containers and has particular reference to boxes made of cardboard, strawboard, corrugated paper, or the like, and used extensively for the delivery of articles purchased in the retail trade such as mens hats or ladies millinery.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a hat box which is not only collapsible and adapted thereby to be stored in at form in large quantities so as to occupy a minimum amount of loft space, but which when set up or expanded for use occupies practically the same amount of space as a round" or oval hat box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box having within it a filler in the nature of a pedestal having a peculiar adaptabilit for supporting a hat in the best possibl; position and condition, said pedestal construction constituting interior means for strengthening the box and reducing the likelihood of the crushing thereof while being handled or transported.

Another object of the invention is to imrove the construction and assemblage of 51c box, the box body being made of a single substantially rectangular sheet of material suitably scored and manipulated so as to produce a box that is polygonal in plan view, the same having any suitable number of sides, but octagonal as shown, and with all the vertical side walls either integral or substantially integral with the one piece bottom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of lid or cover for the box having its usual functions as a cover and assisting in holding the box body in proper shape and preventing the collapse or unintended folding thereof while in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the completed box with the lid tied in place.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, a portion of the lid being broken away.

]? NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOX.

1926. Serial No. 124,127.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank the manner of construction of the tom and side walls.

Fig. 4 is a sImilar view of the lid blank.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the pedestal in fiat form. I

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the box with the filler in place and indicating in dotted lines the position of the hat brim, the lid being omitted.

Fig. 7 is a vertical the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the box, one of the end flaps being in nested position as when folded, while the other flap is extended or in mid position between the folded position and its set up position where it is interlocked with the other features of the adjacent endwall.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the box in flat form, a portion of one end being broken away to show the position of the folded flaps.

Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse section on the line 10-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the lid in partially folded form.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show my improved box, the body and side walls of which are made from a single sheet of material, indicated best in Fig. 3, and comprising a bottom 15 having a longitudinal bending or score line 16, a series of vertical walls 17, 18, and 19, and a plurality of foldable triangular webs.

The walls 17 are hinged respectively to the bottom along the score lines 21 and jointed along the score lines 22 to the adjacent walls 18. Each wall 18 is hinged to the adjacent end wall 19 along a score line 23. The webs comprise each a pair of triangular members 20 and 20 of substantially right triangular form and hinged together along their hypothenuses at the score line 24, while the triangular portions are hinged respectively along the hinge lines and 26 to the bottom and adjacent vertical wall 18.

Each end wall 19 is of composite nature being composed of four parts, namely, two rectangular wall sections 19' and 19 hinged ivspcctlvely to the walls 18 adjacent thereto and on opposite sides thereof, the section 15) having an extension or flange 19 connected thereto by a hinge line 26 and adapted to overlap the section 19 when the box is assembled and where it may be fastened showing box bottransverse section on by glue, staples, or other fasteners. Eachregistering slots 29 formed in the sections 19 19 and 19, the flap for this purpose swinging downward from its nested position against the bottom panel and thence outward and upward through an angle of 270, the connected hinge portion of the flap constitutin finally the bottom portion of the end we 1 19 and being integral with the bottom panel. When the box is either folded or set u for use, the crease line 16, 16, and 26 all he in thesame plane. The slots 29 re ister when the box is folded.

he web portion 20 being formed as a right triangle, the free edge 28 thereof when in folded position re isters with the ad acent crease line 23. (gonsequently when the box is being set up for use, pressure of the two hands of the operator directly against vthe outer surfaces of the end walls 19 acts directly against said ends 28 of the web triangles, resulting in the downward collapse of the web parts 20, thereby bringing the web portions each into folded position and atright angles to the horizontal bottom. To assure that the web portions will not collapse in the wrong direction it is preferable to employ for each portion 20 a staple 30 applied therethrough and through the adjacent side wall 18.

The assembly of the box is substantially as follows: Considering Fig. 3 as showing the inner surface of the blank and shaped and creased as indicated, the flaps 19 are folded under the bottom 15. The central partof the bottom and said flaps are then elevated the crease lines 16 and 16 constitutin the hinge line, bringing the bottom and aps into position shown in Figs. 9 and 10.' The side strips, constituting the two series of side walls 17 and 18 and portions of the walls 19, are then folded upward against the bottom around the hinge lines 21 and 26-as shown in Fig. 10. The flanges 19 are then caused to overlap either on the inside or outside the mating portions 19 of the corresponding end walls 19 and there glued or otherwise fastened. If the fasteners are in the nature of staples the end walls must be flattened so that the staples will not pass through the portions 19. While in collapsed or fiat form, the staples 30 are applied through the web portions and walls '18 as above set forth. The body of the box is now complete. In order to open or set up the box for use pressure is applied directly against the ends or end walls 19 thereof, the first effect of which is to flatten the end walls 19. As above indi cated pressureso applied to the.,end. walls causes thedownward collapse ofthe-crease line portions 25 carry' down therewith the bottom 15 and s'p 'ng apart the side portions of the box. The operator then swings the flaps 19 downward and away from each other and thence upward to interlocking position as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, becoming thereby parts of the end walls 19.

The hat holding filler or pedestal shown in Figs. 5 to 7 is composed oftwo similar flat members 31 each having approximately vertical crease lines 32 where staples or other fasteners 33 pass to unite the' two members together premanently. Each of these flat members is composed of a central body portion 31 and two end brace members 31". The body portion 31" in flat form is substantially curved' or are shaped and the top portion of the member is longer than the bottom portio For example, in a practical construction the length between the top ends of the crease lines 32- should be proportioned to the bottom length as about thirteen to twelv Likewise the brace'po'rtions 31 are tapered somewhat toward the bottom. The ends or points of the brace members extend practically the full heightof the box and thereby they constitute vertical braces, tending to resist downward crushing of the box, the lid resting upon their upper ends as 'well as upon the upper edge of the box body. The brace members are notched downward at their tops at 34: to form seats for the hat brim. The filler as a whole in flat form is longer than the interior of the box andto introduce it it is contracted longitudinally and spread apart at its middle and at its ends as shown in Fig. 6, the extreme vertical edges of the brace members 31 coming di rectly intothe corners or crease lines 23 joining the end walls with the corner walls 18. Each brace member 31", moreover, bears directly against the end of a web member 20 at one side and against the end wall 19 on the other side, whereby the brace members and the filler as a whole are retained snugly in fixed position. By virtue of the upward curvature of the filler member as above explained and the upward flare of the parts in flat form as shown in Fig. 5, when the device is contracted and inserted into the box as shown in Fig. 6, the body portion 31 assumes a. conical form with a. taper downward. Thereby when the hat crown is inserted thereinto it is held with an easy but snug reliable fit in fixed position in the center of the box while the brim portion rests upon the seats 34 of the brace members 31".

The lid in its preferred form is made as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 11, from a single piece or sheet of stock and designed of course to fit the box for which it is intended as to size and number of sides. This blank includes a top proper having two por tions united along a crease line 36 and rim portions including those shown at 37 and 38 fitting respectively over the side and end walls 17 and 19, these portions being uncreased but united to the main top by crease lines 39 and 40 respectively, and composite corner pieces, each consisting of a triangular part 41 connected along a crease line 42 with the main portion 35 and two overlapping tongue portions 43 hinged to the triangular portion 41 along the crease lines 44 and having another crease line 45 to enable the tongue portions to fold against the triangular portion 41. preferably on the inside to bring the tongue portions and the point of the triangular portion into registry and in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the main top where a fastening means such as a staple or the equivalent is passed through at 45. The tongue portion 43 remote from the end of the diameter crease 36 is provided with a diagonal crease line 46 which together with the hinge lines 47 between the tongue portions and the adjacent uncreased flange portions permits the inward collapse or folding of the lid. Each corner portion spaced and lemote from the diameter line 36 has its tongue portions 43 both creased at 46 for the same purpose. Considering then that Fig. 4 shows the inside surface of the lid with the parts creased and assembled as above described, to fold or Collapse the lid the flange portions are bent inward toward the inner surface of the panel and the center diameter crease line 36 is elevated as shown in Fig. 11 and when the two halves of the panel 35 come together at their outer surfaces the flange portions become substantially flat. In the final folded position the crease line 44 and the adiacent hinge line 47 come into close proximity at all angles ex cept directly at the end of the crease line 36. In this instance the line 47 assumes an angle and so is flared from the hinge line. 44 and also from the line 36. In opening the lid for application to the'box. the operator simply flattens it and opens out the flange portions so that they all stand perpendicular to the main panel 35. The lid is then applied to the box in the ordinary way and the box and lid co-operate with each other for holding the devices in proper carrying position or form. l urtbermore, the flange portion of the lid overlapping the tongue portions of the flaps 19 serves not only to obscure the tongue ends of the flaps, but to prevent positively any accidental removal or disconnection of the tongues from the slots 29.

Tie members shown as cords 48 may be employed to hold the lid upon the box and for carrying purposes. These cords are shown as provided with knots on the inside of the box whence the cords are threaded outward through holes 49 in the side walls 17. As practised most successfully, one cord is longer than the other and when they are brought into crossed relation across the top of the box the longer cord is passed thence downward around one end across the bottom and thence upward along the other, and finally tied to the shorter cord as shown in Fig. 1. This application of the cord further re-enforees the construction of the flap portions of the end walls of the box as we l as binding all the parts of the box together.

I claim: a

1. The herein described collapsible box comprising a bottom and side wall ortions united to one another, the bottom eing of polygonal form, the side walls including two members hinged directly to the bottom, and other two members of composite nature each including a flap hinged directly to the bottom and swingable from one side of the lane of the bottom in one condition of the ox, past the plane of the bottom, and into a position at an angle to the plane aforesaid in another condition of the box, said bottom being foldable upward along its longitudinal center when the box is collapsed and the flaps being at such time folded between the two parts of the bottom.

2. The herein described hat box comprising an upwardly-foldable bottom and side wall portions hinged to one another so as to occupy different relative ositions as to whether the box is collapsed or set up, some of said side walls bein united directly to edges of the bottom, otliers bein united to the bottom through foldable we portions,

and other of the side walls being of composite nature each including a pair of wall sections hinged respectively to the two walls on opposite sides thereof and a flap hinged to the bottom and adapted to occu y a position against the lower surface of t e bottom and to stand erect in interlocking position with the aforesaid wall sections, said flaps having means for attaching them to the other sections of the same walls when the box is set up to secure the permanency ot' the box, and being foldable upward between the folds of the bottom when the box is collapsed.

3. The herein described collapsible box comprising a polygonal bottom, a plurality of side walls, and means for hinging the side walls to the bottom, said hinging means including a plurality of triangular web members each having two portions, one portion being integral with a side wall, while the other portion is integral with the bottom, said portions being of right triangular form united to each other along their hypothenuses, and said two triangular web portions being in the same plane when the box is folded and lyingagainst said side wall.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 including fastening means for securing permanently together the side wall and its adjacent triangular web portion.

5. A construction as set forth inclaim 3 including a side wall hinged to the side wall having the web construction, said side wall first mentioned bearing directly against the end of the web structure secured to the other side wall when in .set up position.

6. The herein described foldable box comprising a bottom and a plurality of side walls united therewith and to one another, certain of said side walls being of composite nature, each including two panel portions with means to unite them together and hav- 2 ing apair of spaced slots, said panel portions being hin d directly to adjacent side walls and space from the bottom, said composite wall including also a flap hinged to the bottom and swingable around its hinge so as to occup a position at an angle to the plane of the ottom and havin means cooperating with said slots for interlocking it with the other portions of its wall when set up, thereby hinging said wall directl to the bottom, said box having a longitudinal crease along its center for upward collapse of the bottom for folding, the crease being extended along the flaps, the hinges of the flaps being at right angles to the creases,and

the flaps being swingable from a position against the bottom surface of the bottom of the box through 270 to flat upright position when the box is set up.

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

AARON BER OWITZ. 

